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Village Stories 2011

Jumping Around & Kicking up Her Heels

by Josephine Rand, Ashby Village Member

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the first Ashby Village Creative Movement class led by Andy Gaines, Executive Director. I do hope that these classes become a regular event. I enjoyed going for a number of reasons. I thought that it was an excellent way to get to know some of my fellow Ashby Village members.
We played a game where we used movements and our names, and even though normally I have a tough times remembering names, I learned the names of most all of the people in the class.

I confess that I have not been getting any exercise at all recently. I have wanted to start, but I would feel woefully inadequate were I to join a movement class for the general public. Undoubtedly, I would get embarrassed and stop going to class. Although I hate to admit it, I have done just that in the past. However, Andy set up the activities so that people of all levels of activity could join in.

We could participate as vigorously or as easily as we felt comfortable doing. And best of all, I felt like a child getting to play. We had structure, but we also had a lot of latitude with our movements.
I felt as if I were a little girl jumping around and kicking up her heels. Of course, I wasn’t able to do that for very long. But if these classes continue I will surely become stronger and more limber in time. And I will continue to be able to feel this joy that comes with moving freely and without inhibition.

Prepared to Spend the Night

by Carloyn North, Ashby Village Member

One Friday morning, my husband Herb was having some strange symptoms, so we went to the Kaiser emergency room, where they examined him and said he needed surgery later that day.
At that point the doctors couldn't say if Herb's condition was routine or life-threatening.

We waited all day in the ER for surgery, and at the end of the day I took a break to go home for some rest and a bite to eat. Once home, I realized I should not be alone while he was in surgery. It was a Friday night, and on such short notice, I couldn’t find a friend to accompany me. Our family lives across the country. Then I remembered Ashby Village, and called for help.
"Within the hour I got a call from volunteers Bob and Merle Davis, who picked me up and drove me to the hospital.

They waited with me for three hours, until we got the good news that Herb was fine and could go home the next day. Bob and Merle drove me home and told me graciously that they had been prepared to spend the night with me if necessary. We had never met before; we have not seen each other since. But they probably saved my life that night – or my heart, at least – and I will be grateful to them forever. Not to mention Ashby Village, which makes such encounters possible."

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